On the way to a significant breakthrough?
Police investigators arrived this morning (Wednesday) at a forest in the Jerusalem area in an attempt to locate the remains of Nissim Shitrit, who disappeared in 1986.
It will be recalled that Rabbi Eliezer Berland, the leader of the Shuvu Banim congregation, was arrested as part of the investigation into this affair and the murder of the late Avi Edri in 1990.
Nissim Shitrit's brother, Meir, was met yesterday by police investigators with Rabbi Berland.
This morning, a hearing will be held on extending the detention of five suspects who were arrested upon exposure of the affair.
Rabbi Berland in court, Photo: Oren Ben Hakon
Rabbi Berland's detention was extended by nine days yesterday.
Scholars suspect that Rabbi Berland was the one who gave the instruction.
The judge argued that the rabbi linked himself to the suspicions attributed to him.
At the beginning of the hearing, upon being brought to the courtroom, Berland collapsed.
His defense attorneys demanded that he be referred to medical care, but after a short treatment, the hearing began.
During the hearing and even before that, dozens of his followers came and demonstrated in front of the court and in front of the Russian court in protest of his arrest.